In Search of Bleach Alternative

Last year I would have went out and purchased regular bleach to whiten my clothing and other laundry items. This year, however, I am learning to live in a more environmentally friendly manner. I also need a bleaching agent that will not cause asthma attacks. I am now in search of a bleach alternative for those whites.

I have tried drying clothes outside in direct sunlight. Sunlight is a natural bleaching agent. This works for small or light stains, but not for anything too tough. I need something more.

I have noticed a few products online that I intend to try. My criteria for continued use of any product will be:

1. It will not set off an asthma attack when I open the container and/or use the product.

2. It is more environmentally friendly than regular bleach.

3. It does its job well.

Here are the possible options that I have come up with:

Oxy-Boosthttp://www.oxyboost.com/products/oxy_boost.html:

This product uses oxygen for de-staining and deodorizing clothing. Oxy-Boost also claims to be able to be used for other household cleaning jobs. Do not use this product on silk or wool.

Seventh Generation:

This company has an environmentally friendly version of bleach, with no fragrances or dyes. A great combination, and a product that I believe I can purchase locally. Seventh Generation does not test their products on animals.

Nature Bright:

This is a laundry booster and stain remover that claims to be biodegradable and natural, and without the bleach smell that gets my asthma going. Nature Bright can also be used to clean upholstery, which is a nice bonus. It does require the use of warm water, and I generally only use cold for the laundry.

There you have it. The products that I am choosing to test out. I will start with the Seventh Generation product, because it can be purchased locally. If I like it, that will be the end of my testing. If I don't like it, I will move on to a different product.

The hope is that the Seventh Generation product will work well, so that I do not have to pay shipping and I am not asking for it to be shipped just for me.